Elephant terrorises Rohingya refugees
A 12-year-old was child killed and 30 people injured when a rogue elephant tore through a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh yesterday. Camp resident and filmmaker Shafuir Rahman, who recorded refugees fleeing the scene, said one elderly resident was hospitalised after 20 huts were razed.
Elephant in Kutupalong #Rohingya #refugee camp today. These events are becoming more frequent. pic.twitter.com/YvKg3rgdH6
— Shafiur Rahman (@shafiur) February 22, 2018
Mr Rahman said “these events are becoming more frequent”; he blamed deforestation for placing increasing pressure on wildlife. Forestry department officials later herded the elephant back to the forest.
More Coalition sex scandal woes
NSW minister Matt Kean is under fire after former girlfriend Caitlin Keage revealed on Thursday night that he had sent inappropriate text messages via Instagram to fellow state MP Eleni Petinos. The messages allegedly exposed a sexual relationship between the two. Mr Kean later apologised for the way his relationship with Caitlin had ended, wishing her all the best.
Police investigate race hate attack on Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and his fiancée, Meghan Markle, were involved in an anthrax scare when a letter containing white power and a racially abusive message was sent to the couple at Kensington Palace. The letter was intercepted by security staff and the couple were never at risk. Tests showed the powder was harmless, but the incident is being investigated as a “racist hate crime”, Scotland Yard announced.
Belgrade allows drug case extradition
A Belgrade court has approved the extradition to Australia of Tristan Waters and Rohan Arnold to face drug charges. They and a third Australian, David Campbell, were arrested in January over a $500 million cocaine haul. Belgrade police alleged that the trio were caught in possession of a pistol and $1 million in foreign currencies. Australian police are investigating whether they had links to 1280 kilograms of cocaine seized in Sydney last April.
Jenner tweet shakes Snapchat stock
A tweet by celebrity influencer Kylie Jenner criticising Snapchat sent its stock plunging by a hefty 7.2 per cent yesterday, wiping out $A1.7 billion of its value. It’s the second blow in a week for Snapchat after users complained about its design update. A petition to bring back the old design has attracted more than 20,000 signatures.
sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me… ugh this is so sad.
— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) February 21, 2018
T20 injury leaves Lynn in doubt
Firebrand cricketer Chris Lynn is set to miss the upcoming Pakistan Super League series after dislocating his right shoulder during Australia’s T20 final win over New Zealand this week. Lynn was to undergo scans in Brisbane to assess his immediate playing prospects. Despite the injury, the right-hander has said he hopes to be fit in time for the Indian Premier League series in early April.
Billy Graham dies at 99
Billy Graham, a US evangelist who became one of the most influential preachers of the 20th century, has died at his North Carolina home, aged 99. Graham, the first evangelist to exploit television as a medium, was a conservative Christian who opposed same-sex marriage and abortion through his 60-year career. His audience of 140,000 at the MCG in 1959 remains a venue record. He retired in 2005, suffering cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
Bears seek to end hibernation
North Sydney Bears are reportedly seeking an NRL return by moving to Western Australia. The club would rebrand to Western Bears. A foundation team of Australian rugby league, North Sydney were culled from the NRL in 1999. A move to the west is just the latest of many failed efforts to gain reinstatement, including a bid to overtake the Gold Coast Titans.
NRL trial matches will continue this weekend, headlined by Dragons v Rabbitohs in the Charity Shield. Round One of the competition proper starts on March.
Briefs compiled from multiple web sources by Aidan Fedorow, Zoe Delaney Gretch, Helen Hatam, Jack Mara, Chailux Sangtonglang, Sharon Shen, Keanu Villavicencio-Prado and Troy Whittaker